This invention relates to an abrading device, such as a block sander, which can be attached to a vacuum cleaner to remove dust as it is generated during use of the device.
Abrading devices provided with vacuum hoods or shields, connected to sources of vacuum which remove dust generated within the shields by the abrading devices, are well known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,673,744, 3,785,092, 3,824,745, 3,837,383, 3,935,678, 4,071,981, 4,135,334, 4,145,848 and 4,328,645. Such shields have generally been quite useful for protecting the users of the abrading devices from air-borne dust generated by such devices. However, such shields have generally been rather large and cumbersome because they have been designed to substantially enclose motor-drive abrading machines, such as portable rotary sanders. Such shields have been ill-suited for use with smaller hand-powered abrading devices, such as simple block sanders.
There has been a need, therefore, for a simple and compact means for removing dust as it is generated by a hand-powered abrading device.